The Agriculture Bill, first proposed in January, has passed its final stage in the House of Lords today (Oct 02).
The Bill will mean that the Common Agriculture Policy will be replaced with a system that instead pays farmers for farming efficiently and improving the environment that they farm in.
The Government believes that by rewarding farmers with public funds for providing public services, farmers will be more likely to take into consideration their environmental impact when doing their job.
The Government is confident that the Bill will receive Royal Assent by 2021, in time to begin a new way of farming after the transitionary period.
Speaking in the House, Lord Gardiner said:
“My Lords, we have come to this final stage of—I think we would say—lengthy deliberations on a Bill which will have a lasting impact on farming and the rural economy. It has been my privilege, coming from a farming background, to have responsibility for the Bill.”
“I am clear that our consideration of the Bill has been full and detailed….We all seek a vibrant future for British farmers and the production of food of high quality and to a high standard. Farmers are also custodians of the countryside and our landscapes, and I believe the Bill provides a framework for these two imperatives: food production and an enhanced environment.
